


strength in your heart

by moon__goddess



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Blind Character, Disabled Character, M/M, PERMANENT HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, abandoned work, fairy tale AU, i played into all the tropes and i dont CARE, medieval setting, side ships to be hinted at~, sort of? i tried?, we got that royalty/commoner vibe going on here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2019-11-23 20:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18156530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon__goddess/pseuds/moon__goddess
Summary: You will stay unseeing for the rest of your days, if you do not find someone to temper your gaze.A story about self-acceptance, friendship, finding inner strength, and two idiots falling in love.  Oh, and a dragon.written forMonsta X 2019 Music Muse Fic ExchangeON PERMANENT HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE





	strength in your heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Krimmro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krimmro/gifts).



> based on this prompt:
> 
> Blind Hyungwon can’t see his smile but Hoseok can. I’d love a feel good & fluffy fic, based in mediaeval times where true love conquers all~  
> [music link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srRjQDfg2bo)

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a prince was born to the Chae family.  The king and queen were pleased to have borne a son, and they named him Hyungwon.  At the announcement of Prince Hyungwon’s birth, upon knowing that he was healthy, the kingdom rejoiced, for their rulers had an heir - but as the boy grew older, it became evident that all was not right with him.  His eyes had been bright at birth, but with every passing year, they grew weaker and weaker. 

By the prince’s fifth birthday, his clear brown eyes had failed him, leaving him unable to distinguish even the broadest shapes or the brightest colors, the world around him dim and blurry, only able to note differences in light and shadow.  

None of the other children in the castle would play with him, and most of the courtiers and servants would avoid him, because of the way he would stare without seeing - it made them uncomfortable.

Only one person was not uncomfortable around the prince - a little boy his age, the son of one of the king’s advisors.  This little boy, named Kihyun, had eyes that were different colors and was also ridiculed by the rest of the children because of it.  The prince was the only person who did not make fun of him, as he could not tell the difference, and thus the two of them became very close friends.

The prince would share his toys with the boy, and in return the boy would read to him from their collection of picture books, his light voice stumbling over words that contained the letter ‘S’.  They would comfort each other when the words and actions of the others hurt too much, hiding in the prince’s room and telling stories, taking solace in the fact that there was someone else who understood them, who was there for them, who would make them laugh when they were unhappy.

Soon, the prince and Kihyun were inseparable.  The king and queen, along with the royal advisor who was Kihyun’s mother, were pleased that their sons had become friends, and they allowed them to take lessons, play, and do almost everything together.

Lessons were sometimes difficult, because both boys had sharp minds, ready and willing to learn, but would compete with each other over everything.  Some of their instructors had quit after one too many instances of fighting over who had answered the question correctly first, but despite their constant bickering they grew up intelligent and kind, and begrudgingly earned the respect of all the people who remained at court.

 

Twenty five years passed, and the kingdom remained peaceful, the only trouble being quiet skirmishes along its borders that were quickly quelled.  Prince Hyungwon, although still reclusive, began to sit in on meetings with his parents, Lord Kihyun by his side as both his guide and his trusted advisor.  It was all to lay the groundwork for the crown to pass to him on his twenty-sixth birthday, like it had for his mother and for her father before her.  

 

The preparations for the celebratory ball began two months before the set date, and workers and skilled craftspeople poured into the palace. Dismayed by the sheer number of people that were now constantly around, Hyungwon insisted that Kihyun take the most circuitous routes possible through the halls when they went for their daily walks - which the advisor would gladly agree to, since he wanted to avoid any newcomers as much as the prince did.  The memories of harsh words and uncomfortable silences haunted them both.

After a week of rain, during which their walks had been confined to the castle, the sky finally opened up, and Kihyun insisted that they go and get some fresh air.  Hyungwon grumpily agreed, only after much prodding by both his friend and his mother, who claimed the sunshine would help freshen his mind.  

The two of them walked side by side down the hall and out a side door, their mismatched stride perfected after years of friendship.  Hyungwon had taken after his father and shot up like a weed when they were teenagers, much to Kihyun’s consternation, and he took to calling Hyungwon a limp noodle when he was particularly vexed with him.  Hyungwon, in response, would always squint and tell him that his shadow was too small to see, so he couldn’t be blamed if he tripped over Kihyun one day. This was their current topic of conversation, and their bickering took them out of the castle and into the winding gardens, where the scent of hundreds of flowers greeted them.

Their favorite spot in the gardens was a bench next to one of the fountains, surrounded by hydrangea bushes.  It was notoriously difficult to find, as it was located deep in the twisting paths, and every time Kihyun tried to lead them to it he would get them hopelessly lost.  So Hyungwon would lead, following the scent of the hydrangeas (being deprived of sight, his other senses were rather sensitive), and they never failed to arrive at the bench.

They were on their way there, the topic of conversation having turned to the celebrations and what they were going to wear, when the prince went around the bend in the path and hit a wall.

Or, a person who felt like a wall, because as he stumbled back, hand clutching his nose, wincing in pain, an unfamiliar voice said, “Hey, watch out!”

The sharp intake of breath from where Kihyun was standing let Hyungwon know that his friend was well and truly angry,  but he straightened and held up his hand to stop him before he spoke. He made to ask the person a question, but they mumbled “Some people never learn how to see” before he could, and his mouth clamped shut.

He drew himself completely upright and let a rush of ice coat his voice like his father had taught him.   “And who, pray tell, are you?”

Kihyun shifted closer to him when the shadowy blob in front of him moved.  The person was doing something, Hyungwon thought, but he didn’t know what. The shadow shrunk, and then expanded again when the voice said, “I am a gardener,  _ sir _ , and I would much appreciate if you…” The voice trailed off, and Hyungwon heard Kihyun stifle a laugh.

“Oh.”  

Hyungwon crossed his arms and waited for this person, this gardener, to say something else. 

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” the voice continued, suddenly sounding much more subdued and shy than before, “please excuse my rudeness.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes (not that it did much, but he knew it annoyed Kihyun when he did that so he figured why not annoy this person as well).  “Excused,” he said coldly, and motioned for Kihyun to join him. “Now, if you will excuse us.”

Kihyun took his elbow and gently pressed his fingers in the direction he needed to step in order to avoid whatever the gardener was working on.  The two of them skirted by, and right as they turned the corner Hyungwon heard someone let out a disappointed sigh.  

“Great job, Hoseok,” another voice said, before Kihyun resumed complaining about how fast Hyungwon was walking and he could discern no more.

 

The next morning, Hyungwon awoke to frantic knocking on his bedroom door.  He blearily sat up and made his way over to open it, unsurprised when he heard Kihyun say “Finally” and felt him shove past.  

“Move back, Hyungwon,” Kihyun added, and he took a step away from the entrance.  

There was a thud and some muted footsteps hurrying back out of the room, and then a soft  _ snick _ as Kihyun closed the door.

“You have a gift,” he announced.  “Some flowers - gorgeously arranged, if I do say so myself.”  He took Hyungwon’s hand and led him to his low table, where a large vase was apparently now resting.  

Hyungwon sniffed the air.  “Hyacinth, ivy, and… tulips?” he asked.

“Exactly,” Kihyun replied.  “The colors are interesting, though, it’s a mix of yellow, purple, and white.  Strange choice, but it actually looks pretty.”

Hyungwon shrugged.  “If you say it looks nice, they stay.”

“Hold on,” Kihyun said, tapping his arm.  “There’s a note.”  

“What does it say?” Hyungwon asked, furrowing his brow as he sat down.  This was a strange start to his morning.

The rip of the seal cut through his thoughts.  “Your Highness,” Kihyun read, “I am sorry for any insult I gave yesterday.  I was not thinking and did not realize you were who you were at first. Please accept these flowers as a sign of my apology, and I hope for your forgiveness.  Yours, Lee Hoseok, gardener.” He gasped. “It’s from that gardener you bumped into yesterday! The one who was so rude.”

“Interesting.”  Hyungwon leaned forward.  “He seems eager to rectify his mistake.”

Kihyun hummed in agreement, and the rustling of his clothes let Hyungwon know he had sat down as well.  “I say keep them. What harm could they do? And since this gardener is so urgently trying to stay in your good graces…”

Hyungwon sighed.  “I guess you’re right.  Besides, I think this is the fastest someone has apologized for insulting me.”

That got a laugh out of Kihyun.  “You know, I think you’re right.”

Hyungwon grinned at the dark shape that signified his friend.  “I’m always right.”

“No you’re not, shut up.”  Kihyun got up from his seat and lightly touched his shoulder.  “Now get dressed, we have a meeting with the trade advisors in forty five minutes.”

 

The following weeks were extremely busy, Hyungwon having to attend more meetings than ever before - his mother was throwing him into leadership with trials by fire, having him present his opinions at every opportunity and letting him make decisions about certain issues.   He had never been more tired. But the only person who could have lifted his spirits had become notoriously difficult to find, dashing off after meetings and showing up late to meals - if he showed up at all. Hyungwon was annoyed that his best friend suddenly didn’t have as much time for him, but he knew that Kihyun actually liked being busy, so he made no comment about it.

 

Two days before the start of the celebrations, Hyungwon was dragged into the throne room by his mother to meet some of the nobles that had traveled from the farther cities to be present for his coronation.  He thought the entire affair was rather dull, as most of the lords and dukes were endlessly boring, pontificating throughout their grand, exaggerated speeches about the good of the kingdom. The only respite he got was when one of the younger lords, a Lord Lee, made a comment to his guard about the tediousness of the speeches, loud enough for half the room to have heard.  The comment had made Hyungwon briefly smile, and Kihyun had laughed for what felt like hours after because a few of the visiting ladies had swooned at the sight.  

 

The festivities began, and Hyungwon could barely hear himself think around the noise drifting up to his window from the grounds.  He made his obligatory appearances at lunch and at the receiving hour after, where hordes of people who lived in the city around the castle came and proclaimed their loyalty, wishing him a prosperous rule, but he felt the insincerity rolling off them in waves.  It didn’t bother him - he knew people were not receptive to him because of his… disability, he’d call it, but the law was the law, and he would be their king anyway.  

During the feast, he endured the remarks, his sharp hearing picking up some murmurs among the lower-ranking officials, and when his parents toasted his health and well-being he grimaced before accepting the applause.  

Apparently, Kihyun had noticed his reluctance to be present throughout the day, so when he stopped him after the feast Hyungwon was not very surprised.  

“You look terrible,” Kihyun said quietly, walking alongside him as he wound his way back to his room.

“I can’t possibly look worse than I feel,” Hyungwon replied.  “I can’t do another day of this or I’ll snap.”

“You need a distraction.”  Kihyun bumps his shoulder. “And I have a good one.”

“You, have a distraction?” Hyungwon scoffed.  “You’d be more likely to make me try to cook with you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Kihyun whined.  “You know the festival that’s happening tonight?  With all the out-of-town merchants and traders?”

“What about it?”  Hyungwon rolled his eyes as Kihyun tapped his arm twice to signal stairs.  “It’s going to be loud and I’m never going to get any sleep.”

“What if I said we could go?”

Hyungwon tripped on the next step.  “Like… leave the castle, go?” he asked once he had recovered his balance.

“Yes,” Kihyun said before pulling him up the rest of the stairs and into his room, closing the door behind them.

“How?” was the first thing Hyungwon asked once he’d sat down.

“I… know a few people,” Kihyun mumbled.  “And one of them has a way out of the castle.”

“Yoo Kihyun,” Hyungwon threatened, “tell me who they are.”

He sighed in defeat.  “Lord Lee and his personal guard.”

“I didn’t know you knew Lord Lee,” Hyungwon commented.  “Actually, I didn’t know you spoke to any other nobility besides me.”

“I do have some social skills, Hyungwon,” Kihyun retorted.  “And I choose to use them on occasion.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes again.

“Stop that.  Besides, you’d like Minhyuk, he’s very talkative.  And funny.”

“Whatever you say, Kihyun.”  

“Please come?”  Kihyun’s voice was filled with pleading.  “It’ll be good for you to get out of the castle for once.  Walk around, experience something that’s not royal.”

Hyungwon slumped in his seat.  Kihyun was right, he thought, he really needed to be out of this place for a while.  Maybe going to this festival would be fun.

“Fine.”

Kihyun whooped with excitement.  “Get changed, I’ll see you in an hour!

 

True to his word, Kihyun reappeared outside Hyungwon’s door exactly an hour later, rapping lightly with his knuckles to signify his presence.  He dragged Hyungwon out, mumbling to keep quiet as they rounded corners and went down side staircases that Hyungwon had never known existed. Finally they reached a hallway on what felt like the ground floor of the palace, most likely near the servants’ quarters based on how drafty it was.  Hyungwon shivered and pulled the edges of his most worn jacket closer together.  

“Almost there,” Kihyun murmured to him, walking more slowly than he had been before.  

Hyungwon scoffed, but he heard a couple of voices floating ahead of them before he could answer, so he stayed quiet.  Kihyun’s fingers tightened on his arm for a second before he let go.

They took a few more steps before Kihyun said, “Boo.”

Two blobs shot off the wall in front of them, one of them emitting a very loud shriek, and Kihyun burst into laughter.

“Calm down, Joohoney,” the other blob - person - said, exasperation and fondness coating his voice.  “It’s just Kiki.”

Hyungwon couldn’t believe his ears.  “Kiki?” he asked incredulously, turning to the side where he can feel Kihyun’s body heat.  “Are you serious?”

“Oh my god, Minhyuk,” Kihyun said, controlling his giggles, “how many times do I have to tell you to not call me that.”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m still going to call you Kiki,” Minhyuk responded, and Hyungwon heard the teasing grin in his voice.  

“And you,” Kihyun added, whacking Hyungwon’s arm, “don’t you even think about it.”

Hyungwon felt the smile grow on his face.  “Think about what?”

Kihyun groaned.  “I hate you,” he proclaimed.  “Both of you. So much.”

“You luuuuurve me,” Minhyuk sing-songed.  “Jooheon, stop freaking and come say hi.”

Hyungwon suddenly felt his hand get snatched from his side.  “Hello, my prince,” Minhyuk added, squeezing his hand. “We met a couple days ago, very briefly.  Lee Minhyuk, at your service.”

“P-prince?” the other voice, who Hyungwon assumed was Jooheon, squeaked.  “Minhyuk, when you said you had friends in the castle, I thought you meant other knights or some of the cooks, not - not the  _ crown prince and his advisor _ !”

“Oh, come on, Jooheon, you’ve met me before,” Kihyun said, and Hyungwon assumed he was rolling his eyes.  

“Yes, b-but… that was  _ before _ I knew who you were!”

“And I would hope you knew that it didn’t matter.”

Minhyuk huffed.  “Come on, Joohoney, it’s fine.  Besides, if you don’t get over it, we’re going to be late.”

“I guess,” Jooheon grumbled, his voice still shaky.  

Hyungwon realized Minhyuk’s long fingers were still wrapped around his wrist when he got tugged along as Minhyuk headed towards Jooheon.  “Let’s go, then,” Minhyuk was saying, power-walking away, and when he heard Kihyun suppressing a laugh behind him, Hyungwon felt the last bits of his resistance crumble into nothing.

The four of them made their way down the hall, Hyungwon trying his best not to trip as Minhyuk pulled him along, Jooheon bemoaning the fact that they were going to be outside in a crowd and he’d have less security for all of them, when suddenly Kihyun yelled “Hyunwoo!  Hoseok! Over here!” and they came to a halt.

Hyungwon frowned.  One of those names sounded familiar.

“Yoo Kihyun,” Minhyuk said quietly, leaning past Hyungwon, “you said you were bringing me a snack.”

“And?”

“That’s not a snack.  That’s a five-course meal.”

Hyungwon squinted as the light of the hall flickered twice.

“Hi, Kihyun,” a new, deep voice said.  “Oh, he-”

“My prince.” He was interrupted by someone else, presumably the person he was standing with, and it took Hyungwon a moment to remember where he’s heard that voice before, but he finally had done so - and realized why he had recognized one of the names.

“You’re that gardener who sent me apology flowers,” he said, surprise coloring his voice.  “Lee Hoseok.”

“Ah, y-yes, that’s me.”  Hoseok paused. “You… remember me?”

Hyungwon shrugged.  “You were the fastest person to apologize after insulting me.  And you sent flowers.”

“Oh… right, well, uh, Your Highness, did you, um, did you like them?  The flowers, I mean?”  

Hoseok was nervous.  Hyungwon could tell from the way he was struggling to get the words out, voice shaking.  He supposed that was natural, given that Hoseok was just a gardener and he was the crown prince - plus Minhyuk and Kihyun were both lords, and if he remembered correctly, Jooheon was Minhyuk’s personal guard.  It was no wonder he was intimidated.

But, Hyungwon figured, he should be used to it by now after working in the castle, and if he wasn’t, then too bad.

“They smelled nice,” he said, crossing his arms.  “And Kihyun told me it was arranged well.” When Hoseok didn’t immediately respond, he sighed and added, “Thank you.”

“Oh, um, you - you’re welcome.”

“Are you two done?” Minhyuk interjected.  “We need to leave or we’re going to miss everything.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Kihyun groaned.  “But we should hurry if we don’t want to be seen.”

“Fine, let’s go.”  Hyungwon stepped forward, holding out his arm for Kihyun.  “If I fall, I’m blaming you.”

“Whatever, noodle boy.”

 

The six of them made their way out of the castle and down to the grounds right outside the gates, where a cacophony of noise and music awaited.

They slipped into the crowds, Kihyun keeping a tight hold on Hyungwon’s arm as to not lose him, his brief touches part of the system they’d devised years earlier to make sure Hyungwon could navigate without injuring himself.  Following Hyunwoo and Hoseok’s lead, they wound through the performers and bards and finally came to a stop somewhere filled with the scent of exotic spices that Hyungwon had only smelled at grand feasts before.

Some type of bell rang, a high, clear note, and then a deep voice echoed from somewhere in front of them.

“Im Spices and Other Curiosities, I’ll be right up.”

“Is that my Kkukkung I hear?” Hoseok said, surprisingly close to Hyungwon’s ear.

Hyungwon flinched at the subsequent series of crashes and loud thumps, and he repeated the action when the deep voice squealed, “Hoseokkie!  And Hyunwoo!”

“Hi, Changkyunnie,” Hyunwoo murmured, and Hyungwon heard Hoseok emit a little  _ oof _ when a body thudded into him.

“I missed you,” the voice - presumably belonging to this Changkyun - said, giggling a little.  “Oh, and you brought friends!”

Hyunwoo cleared his throat.  “Yes, uh, this is Kihyun, Minhyuk, Jooheon, and, um, Hyungwon.”

One of the people next to him exhaled, hard, and Hyungwon felt the hairs on his arms stand up.

“Like… the pr- oh, okay, never mind, just a guy with the same name, got it.”

Kihyun hummed in agreement, which made Hyungwon crack a smile.  Trust his best friend to threaten someone without saying a word.

Someone else next to him made a slight choking sound, and he turned to ask if they were alright, but before he could Changkyun started speaking again.

“Well, we have to go explore!  I’m not wasting this precious opportunity.”

“We need alcohol before we do anything else,” Minhyuk said firmly.  “Where’s the closest bar?”

“Ah!  Not to worry,” Changkyun exclaimed.  “I happen to have two bottles of the best sweetwine you’ll ever taste - they’re somewhere in here, I swear…”  He trailed off and things began to clank and rattle as he searched. “Gotcha!”

“Is that the stuff you had last time you were here?”  Hoseok asked. Hyungwon felt the warmth of his body radiate along his left arm, letting him know that Hoseok was still standing next to him.

“It is indeed.”

“How do we know it’s safe?” Jooheon burst out.  “That grin of yours is slightly terrifying.”

“What, this one?”  Changkyun did something and Jooheon yelped.  “You can drink it, it’s not poison… although it’s safe to say that it’s  _ not _ entirely safe to do so.”

“I’ll attest to that,” Hyunwoo said.  “Hand me one of those bottles.”

“Don’t be such a worrywort, Joohoney,” Minhyuk crooned.  “Have some fun.”

“Joohoney…” Changkyun mumbled.  “Cute.”

Jooheon made a squeak of protest, and Hyungwon laughed.

 

The sweetwine was delicious.  They finished one bottle and Hyunwoo was carrying the second, refilling their cups as they walked, Minhyuk and Changkyun trading jokes and stories.  Hoseok regaled them with the tale of when he and Hyunwoo met - their parents owned shops across the street from each other, and Hyunwoo had crashed into Hoseok one day when he was carrying bags of flour from the street to his family’s bakery, making Hoseok drop the large plant  _ he _ was carrying to his family’s flower shop.  Kihyun told a few stories as well, making everyone gasp with laughter when he recounted the time that one of the trade ministers had made a rather off-color joke by accident and the only people who had gotten it had been himself and Hyungwon, which had made for an extremely awkward meeting.  

As they explored, Kihyun or Minhyuk always drifting back to explain to Hyungwon what they were stopping to look at, Hyungwon found himself smiling, his chest light for the first time in months.  He was warm, he was laughing, he was with people who didn’t hate him for his lack of sight, and he could make all the snarky comments he wanted to without their judgment. It was freeing, and for a few moments, he felt like he was flying.

 

Many hours later, the moon now fully risen, Changkyun’s words were starting to slur, Hyungwon’s head felt a little spinny, and he heard Kihyun and Minhyuk giggling nonstop with Hoseok.  Maybe they shouldn’t have gotten that fourth bottle of sweetwine.  

“Oh, look, fortunes!  Lessget our forrrtunes read!” Minhyuk exclaimed, bringing their little procession to a halt.  “Cmon, cmon, cmon.”

A large hand wrapped around Hyungwon’s shoulder and gently pulled him forward.  “There’s a little tent here, with a lady saying she can read fortunes, uh, Hyungwon,” the deep voice he now recognized as Hyunwoo said quietly.  “Minhyuk wanted to stop because her tent is… shiny. Glittery. I guess.”

“Thanks,” Hyungwon murmured.  

Fabric rustled and there were three little footfalls.  “Visitors!” a female voice proclaimed. “Come to my humble tent for their fortunes, yes?”

At their varied levels of assent, more fabric rustled.  “One at a time, then, please,” the woman announced.

It seemed that everyone took no time at all, or maybe that was just because Hyungwon had leaned against Hyunwoo and closed his eyes for a brief moment.  

“It’s your turn, sleepyhead,” Kihyun said, shocking him into standing upright.  “Everyone else went already.”

Hyungwon let him pull him to the tent, not really caring for this but doing it anyway.  

“He… he can’t really s-see,” Kihyun stumbled to say as he passed Hyungwon’s hand from his to the wrinkled hands of the woman.  “So… yeah.”

“Thank you, boy,” the woman said, tugging gently on Hyungwon.  “Come now.”

Hyungwon felt like he was about to fall over, so he was very glad when the woman led him to a chair.  

“Sit,” she said, and he collapsed.

The next breath he took, he smelled incense being wafted around him.  The heavy, scented smoke made him even more tired, and it was increasingly difficult for him to stay awake.  Until the woman began to speak.

“Little prince,” she crooned, jewelry clinking as she moved, “out for one night of attempted normalcy.  Little do you know, little prince, that you’ll never succeed. You’re too prideful. Too stubborn. Too conceited.”

Hyungwon was wide awake now.  “W-what do you mean?” His tongue was thick.

“You won’t fix the problems, little prince,” the woman continued.  “You can’t.”

Hyungwon couldn’t speak, frozen in shock as he was.

“Not without true sight.”

“How,” he breathed.  “How?”

The woman harrumphed.  “Desperate, I see. Desperate to be normal, desperate to be liked, to be accepted.”

“How do I get sight?” Hyungwon managed to ask.

“You want it?” the woman countered.  “Truly, you wish to have true sight?”

“More than anything,” he answered.

The woman exhaled.  “Take this, then, little prince, and go forth with vision.”

Hyungwon made to get up but found that he could not move.  Ropes had bound him to the chair.

The woman’s jewelry clinked again as he pulled at his bindings, and more heavy smoke began to fill the room as she started to chant.

“ _ Seven months you shall wake _

_ Seven tasks you shall face _

_ Thrice will you be saved with grace _

_ Thrice will you be made to ache _

_ Only if you do not break _

_ Will you realize your place _

_ You will stay unseeing for the rest of your days _

_ If you do not find someone to temper your gaze. _ ”

 

The last thing Hyungwon heard was her laughter before he blacked out.

 

***

 

Birds were chirping outside his window.  There was a beam of sunlight directly on his face that was warming his skin.  His cotton sheets were slightly rough, but the mattress was comfortable enough that he wanted to sink back down into sleep.  The utter calmness was soothing, the only sounds the birds outside and the light rustling of trees, and he didn’t bother opening his eyes, just choosing to nestle further into his pillow and -

Hyungwon shot upright.

Where the _hell_ was he.

Because he certainly wasn’t in the castle, with its constant noise and clamor.

He reached out to feel for the ends of his bed and his nightstand so he could stand up, and almost fell over when his hand landed on nothing.  

Heart racing, he inched to the edge of the mattress, then slowly pushed himself upright and swiveled around, feeling the course of the wind from whatever window was open to his right.

He took a step forward.  Finding nothing in his path, he took another.  And another.

On the sixth step, his shin smacked into something extremely sharp - a table, a chair, whatever, and he swore loudly, stumbling backwards.  

There was an amused huff, and Hyungwon froze.

“Who’s there,” he said, unable to keep his voice from shaking.

There was no answer.

“R-reveal yourself!”

Nothing, just another huff of amusement.

“I can hear you, you… you ruffian,” Hyungwon added, turning slowly to try and pinpoint where the sound was coming from.  “Just tell me who you are.”

A third huff.

Hyungwon was about to scream when his head suddenly pulsed with pain, pain strong enough to derail any and all trains of thought.  He winced, and the pain grew, grew from a dull throb to a piercing, shrill whine, and just when he felt like he was going to pass out it stopped.

**Funny, I would have thought that was easier to do.**

He whirled.  “Who said that?”

**I did.**

“Who’s I?  Who are you?”

**The one you called a ruffian maybe thirty seconds ago.**

Hyungwon felt a tinge of amusement run through him, amusement that certainly was not his.

“What’s happening?” he whispered.

**You were given a chance,** the voice said.   **A very, very unlikely chance, but a chance nonetheless.**

Hyungwon blinked.  He could have sworn he didn’t actually hear those words out loud.

“Did… did you say that?”

**Yes.**

“But not out loud.”

**That is correct.**

“Then…”  Hyungwon pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.  “Then how am I hearing you?”

**I am speaking inside your mind.  That pain from earlier, that was allowing me access.**

“So…”  Hyungwon violently shook his head.  “This doesn’t make any sense. How did you do that?”

**An old form of magic, one of the few I have remaining to me.  It allows me to communicate with others not of my species.**

“Y-your… species?”  Hyungwon took another couple of steps back until his legs hit the bed, and he sat down, feeling his strength leave him.  “What are you? _Who_ are you?”

**I am called Setemese.  As for what I am… your kind has given me many names.  But I believe the one best suited to my form is dragon.**

Hyungwon couldn’t believe his ears - mind - whatever.  His… his everything was reeling. “You’re a… a dragon?” he asked incredulously.

**Yes.**

“I…”  He trailed off.  Nothing was making sense.  The last thing he could remember was being out at the festival with Kihyun and the others, laughing and drinking and making bad jokes, and stumbling into that fortune-teller’s tent with the heavy incense.  

“This is a fever dream or something,” he reasoned.  “This is a dream caused by the ungodly amount of alcohol we had last night.  I’m not actually experiencing this.”

When there was no response from the voice, Hyungwon began to fidget.  “Right?”

**Unfortunately, I am as real as you.**

Hyungwon slumped back onto the bed, the breath whooshing out of him.  “This is the most insane thing that has ever happened.”

**To you, maybe.**

“Don’t sass me, I’m having a crisis.”

The dragon-voice-possible hallucination stayed silent at that.

After a few minutes of frantic thinking and overthinking and running through every logical explanation possible without reaching a conclusion, Hyungwon sat back up.

“So.”

**So.**

“Can you tell me anything you know about this?  Like why this is happening? How I got here? Wherever here is…”  Hyungwon trailed off, curling his fingers around the fabric of his pants.  “And maybe tell me what I’m wearing?”

**I am uncertain as to how you arrived here, in this tower,** the dragon-voice-maybe-not-a-hallucination started.   **You were already wearing your current garb when I saw you.  But I know that you were the one to wake me from my slumber.**

“And what, exactly, does that mean?”  Hyungwon crossed his arms, feeling his frustration rise.

**You touched me,** the dragon-voice responded.   **When you first got here, before you fell asleep.**

Hyungwon blinked.  “Um, not to be weird, but…”

**Here.  I will show you.**

Hyungwon barely had time to react to the dragon’s words before his mind went black.

_He was asleep, generally aware that nothing surrounded him, his consciousness floating gently above him, when there was a_ jolt _.  Life.  He shuddered, power coursing through his body, and then he drifted back up to the surface of reality, his slumber over.  He opened his eyes to see_ (see!  He could see!) _a tall, thin, weedy-looking human standing in front of him, face contorted in a grimace as he shook out his hand.  “That huuuurt,” the human slurred, stumbling towards the mattress, running his hand along the wall as if to try and steady himself, before he fell face-first into the pillows._

“W-what… what was that?”  Hyungwon felt like his stomach was doing backflips.

**I… showed you… my mem… memory of last night.**  A wave of tiredness that wasn’t his washed over him.   **That… was… quite a lot… of magic.  Too fast.**

“Wait, wait!  Don’t sleep yet!”  Hyungwon stood up, whacking his hand on the wall in his franticness.  “You didn’t finish answering my questions!”

**Too… much… power.  I… I need to… rest.**

“But…” Hyungwon heard the desperation in his own voice but did nothing to lessen it.  “What am I supposed to do? I can’t just stay here! I don’t even know where I am!”

**I… told you… where… you are.**  The dragon’s voice grew faint.   **If you… cannot stay… then fi… figure out… how… how to leave.**

“Wait!”

He got no response other than a light exhale.

Cursing under his breath, Hyungwon sat back down on the bed and dropped his head into his hands.  He had no idea what he was going to do. He was stuck in this room, somewhere, all by himself, with only a very unhelpful voice who claimed to be a dragon in his head for company.

He wished Kihyun were here.  Then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t feel so helpless or alone.

 

**You have not moved.**

“Oh, great, you’re back,” Hyungwon grumbled, his voice scratchy from lack of use.  “Leave me alone, I’m moping.”

**I cannot.**

“You were doing just great for those few hours where you were ‘asleep.’”

**Magic is tiring.  It takes energy from its wielder in order to function.**

Hyungwon rolled his eyes.  “If you have magic, why can’t you just magic me out of here and back home?  I’d give you whatever you wanted.”

There was a huff from somewhere to his left, not dissimilar to the huffs he heard earlier before the dragon-voice-thing had started speaking.

**Magic does not work like that, little prince.  Especially my magic.**

The nickname sent a jolt of uneasiness through Hyungwon.  “Don’t call me that.”

**Then what is your name?  May I call you that?**

He sighed.  “My name is Hyungwon.”

**Hyungwon.  An interesting name.**

There was a tinge of satisfaction to the words, and Hyungwon shifted at the uncomfortable feeling.  “I… how do you pronounce your name again?”

This time the rush of feeling was one of amusement.   **Seh-teh-meh-seh.  Setemese.**

Hyungwon repeated the syllables under his breath, trying to remember why the vowels sounded so familiar, until a memory from language lessons long ago popped into his head.

“Oh!”  His eyes widened.  “Your name, it means something in another language.”

**Another… language?**

“Yes, I remember studying it when I was younger,” Hyungwon answered.  “It’s a direct translation of seven… months…” He trailed off as a memory from last night swam to the front of his brain.

_A woman cackling.  “Seven months you shall wake, seven tasks you shall face.”  Incense swirling around him, thick and heavy._

He sat down heavily.  “Oh my god.”

**Hyungwon?**

“This is… real.  This is all real.”  Hyungwon dragged his hands down his face.  “That woman from last night… she cursed me?  Or something?”

**I do not believe you are cursed.  I cannot sense any of the usual darkness that would be present if so.**

“Then what?”  He felt the despair he’d been pushing down rear its head.  “Why me? Why am I here?”

**This woman you met.  Tell me what she did.**

Hyungwon sighed.  “My friends… well, my one friend and some acquaintances, we were all drunk and one of them stopped at her tent.  Said she did fortunes. And I went last, and when I went inside everything was hazy, and there was all this smoke, and she… she told me…”  He squeezed his eyes shut as his head spasmed in pain, reminding him that he was very much hungover and he had to think through the discomfort.  “She said a poem, and laughed, and then the next thing I remember is waking up here.”

The dragon hummed in thought.   **I believe,** it said after a while, **you were given a quest.  A quest designed to fail, if I am interpreting this correctly.**

Hyungwon cursed.  “So it’s hopeless.  I’m never going to get out of here, I’m never going to get my sight, and I’ll never be a good king.”

**I would not say hopeless.**

“What do you mean?”

**You woke me.  That is an admirable feat.  And one, I believe, that this woman, oracle, witch, whatever she is, did not foresee.**

“Wait… so…”  Hyungwon stood up.  “Are you saying you’ll help me?”

**Yes.**

“I - thank you, Setemese,” he said.  “Thank you.” Taking a couple of steps forward, he added, “Where do I start?”

The dragon huffed irritably, the sound echoing across the room from Hyungwon’s left.   **I already told you.  You cannot stay in this room, so figure out how to leave.**

“Oh.  Right.”  The end of their previous conversation drifted through Hyungwon’s mind.  “I don’t suppose there are stairs out of here. You said this was a tower, right?”

**Yes.  And no, there are no stairs.  The window appears to be the only exit.**

“Wonderful.”  Hyungwon rolled his eyes.  “Well, there’s got to be something in here to get me out without killing me too.”

 

It took another two days, but with the help of Setemese murmuring tips inside his head, Hyungwon managed to search the entire room, coming up with a bag, spare clothes, some silver to sell if necessary, a few coins, and a long coil of fabric taken from curtains and bedsheets secure enough to help him climb down from the window.  

“I think I’m ready to do this,” he announced.  “Are… are you coming with me? _Can_ you come with me?”

**If you will allow me to accompany you, I think I would rather enjoy it.**

“Great!”  Hyungwon grinned.  He wasn’t going to lose his only method of movement.  And he supposed, the company the dragon provided really wasn’t all that bad.

As he made sure his bag was secure, a thought occurred to him.  “Setemese,” he said slowly, “how exactly are you going to come? I mean, well… how big are you, exactly?”

**My wings should still function properly.  And I am not as big as you might expect.**

Hyungwon felt something scaly touch his hand and let out an ungodly shriek.

**That was me.**

“Oh.”  His heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest.  “Sorry. Just… warn me next time.”

**It is alright.  I will climb to your shoulder now.**

The scaly thing touched him again.  He did his best not to flinch as talons gripped his arm, then his shoulder, and finally settled quite close to his collarbone.  He felt warmth along the back of his neck and across his shoulders as something swished over his bicep, but the talons were resting now, so he figured it was safe to straighten.  

“Are you settled?”

**Yes.**

“Okay, then here we go.”

Hyungwon tied the fabric around his waist and then felt along the edges of the bed for a post, to which he knotted the other end of the fabric.  He then slowly made his way over to the window, dodging the chest on which he’d whacked his shin the other day, and coming to a halt when he felt the warm breeze of the outside air on his face.  

“Goodbye, tower,” he whispered, carefully swinging a leg over the windowsill.

**Goodbye, tower** , echoed the dragon, and Hyungwon slid his foot down, finding a foothold just as he kicked his other leg over.

 

He slowly made his way down, pausing whenever he felt unsteady, but sooner than he expected he was on solid ground again.  “That was less terrifying than I expected,” he commented as he untied the fabric from his waist and left it to hang against the tower.  

**You could not see how far off the ground we were.  The sight makes the height more abhorrent.**

“I suppose that’s true.”  He stretched his arms over his head, sighing at the crack of his joints, and felt the dragon shift from where he was laid across his neck.

**That is… an odd sensation.**

“Oh, you felt my shoulders pop?” Hyungwon asked, smirking.  “It feels good for me, not odd.”

**You are an odd human, Hyungwon.**

“Can’t deny that.”  Hyungwon adjusted the straps of his bag.  “Now, which direction should we travel?”

**Mayhaps to the s-**

The dragon broke off as Hyungwon whipped around, the sound of someone crashing through undergrowth behind him.  He heard heavy breathing get closer and closer until the ripping of plant leaves stopped and he felt the thud of someone’s knees hitting the ground.  

“God, I - Highness!”  

Hyungwon reared back at the familiar voice.  “H-Hoseok?”

“Your Highness!  I can’t believe it, I -” Hoseok broke off, swearing.  “What is that black _thing_ around your neck?”

**I am NOT a ‘thing’.**

“Oh,” Hyungwon said, “that’s just Setemese.  He’s a dragon.”

“He… he has _scales_!  And talons!” Hoseok whisper-shouted.  “And you’re letting him touch you?”

**He can hear you.**

“Yes, but he can’t hear you.”

“A-are… are you _talking_ to him?” Hoseok asked.

“Yes.”  Hyungwon raised an eyebrow.  “He can hear you, you know.”

“Oh,” Hoseok squeaked.  “Uh… sorry, Mr. Setemese, sir.”  He did something that made the dragon huff in amusement.

**You know him?**

“Yes, he’s a gardener at home.  And he was part of the group that I was out with.”

**I see.**

“Ha ha,” Hyungwon grumbled.  “Anyway, Hoseok, what on _earth_ are you doing here?”

“I…” Hoseok sounded uncertain all of a sudden.  “I don’t know, Your Highness. I don’t really remember much after we went to that fortune teller tent at the festival yesterday, but I just woke up, and I was trapped in crawling vines, and I cut myself out of them and then ran to try and get out of the forest and now I’m here.”

“Wait.”  Hyungwon held up a hand in the direction Hoseok’s voice was coming from.  “You said the festival was yesterday? Last night?”

“Well, yes,” Hoseok answered.

“Hoseok…”  Hyungwon shuddered at the thought.  “It’s been three days. Almost four.”

“It… what?”

The pure shock in Hoseok’s voice made Hyungwon shiver again.  “Yeah,” he said quietly.

The ground gave another thud as Hoseok dropped to his knees yet again.

**Your friend does not look alright.**

“Not my friend, just someone I know.”

**Technicalities.  He looks quite unwell.**

“Hoseok.  Hoseok.” Hyungwon took three steps toward where he thought Hoseok was.  “Are you alright?”

“I… I lost three days,” Hoseok mumbled, thankfully from directly in front of him.  “How?”

“Magic,” Hyungwon said.  “That fortune teller had magic.  And when I went into her tent she gave me some sort of quest that started this whole mess.  I woke up in there -” he pointed back in the direction of the tower “- three days ago. And I just now managed to get out.”  He shrugged. “And now you’re here, so I guess that counts for something.”

**Hyungwon.  I may have an idea.**

“Tell me, Setemese.”  

“W-what is he telling you?”  Hoseok asked, the tremor in his voice still palpable.

“Do you want him to tell you too?”  Hyungwon asked.

“I… I guess.”

“Can you?  Do the same thing you did with me?”  Hyungwon reached his hand out to help Hoseok off the ground as he talked to the dragon.

**I believe so.  But he has to touch me as well.**

Hyungwon snorted as he pulled the other man up.  

“What is it?” Hoseok said.

“You have to touch him.”  

Hoseok emitted a squeaking sound that made Hyungwon snort anew with laughter.

“It’s how his magic works!”

Hoseok cursed under his breath.  “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He cursed again.  “O-okay. Please don’t move.”

Hyungwon pressed his lips together to contain his smile as he felt Hoseok shift closer to him.  

“Nice dragon,” Hoseok whispered.  “Pretty dragon. Please don’t bite me, dragon.”

**I will not.**

“He says he won’t bite you,” Hyungwon said.  “But you have to hurry up.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”  Hoseok’s voice shook as he stepped closer.  “Please don’t bite me, please don’t bite me, pleasedon’tbitemepleasepleaseplease- oh, it’s cold!”

**He did it.  I will try now.**

“See?” Hyungwon said, letting himself smile a bit.  “He’s not that bad.”

“Not that b - AUGH.”  Hoseok staggered back, the whoosh of his arms cutting through the hair as he raised them, letting Hyungwon know that Setemese was most likely using his power.

“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts,” whined Hoseok, swearing with every other breath.  “Make it… oh. It stopped.”

**Done.**

Hoseok screamed.

Hyungwon burst into laughter.

“Who - who was that!”

**It was me.  The dragon. Hyungwon, stop laughing, you were not much better.**

“Oh, this is hilarious,” Hyungwon said, giggling.  “I most certainly was better.”

“What.  Is. Happening,” Hoseok said.  He sounded on the verge of tears, and there was nothing that Hyungwon hated more than tears, so he quickly controlled himself.

“Short version,” he started, holding his hand out complacently, “is that there’s still magic, Setemese - the dragon - has some, so did the woman who told fortunes, and he just used his power to access your mind so he can speak to you the same way he does me.  Also the woman gave me a near-impossible quest and cursed everyone else or something so I have to find my way back without dying.”

**About that.  Do you still want to hear my idea?**

“This is,” Hoseok gasped, “without a doubt, the strangest, most terrifying thing to ever happen to me.”

“Join the club,” Hyungwon snapped.  “Tell us your idea, Sete.”

**Sete?**

“Your name is a mouthful.”

The dragon dug his talons into Hyungwon’s shoulder.   **Fine.  Hoseok only showed up after you escaped from the tower.  And you supposedly have tasks to complete, but you do not know what they are.  And you were with your friends when this woman gave you your quest, is that right?**

“Yes…”  Hyungwon furrowed his brow.  “I don’t see where you’re going with this.”

**If my theory is correct…**  The dragon exhaled, letting his tail rest against Hyungwon’s arm.   **One of your friends will come back to you every time you complete a task.  Woken from their slumber, as Hoseok was.**

“That…”  Hyungwon paused to think it through.  “That actually makes sense.”

“So what, we’re just prizes for him, our spoiled future king, to win back by doing a task?” Hoseok burst out.  “I’m sorry, but that’s not right. At all. We’re not inanimate objects or slaves, we’re real people.”

**On the contrary.**   **I assume the quest was structured like this so Hyungwon has to prove himself worthy, to** **_earn_ ** **you back.**

“Still.”  Hoseok exhaled.  “I don’t like it.”

“And you think I do?” Hyungwon yelled, Hoseok’s attitude getting the best of him.  “I didn’t ask for this! I didn’t ask for that woman to give me this stupid quest! I didn’t ask to be dragged out of the castle that night, but Kihyun dragged me out anyway, and I _certainly_ didn’t ask to meet you or any of your friends and then to somehow pull you all into this mess!”  He took a step closer to Hoseok. “And I most definitely did not ask to be the ‘spoiled future king’ that you seem to think I am!”

There was silence in the clearing.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Hoseok suddenly said.  “I didn’t mean to make you upset.” His voice was stiff, but Hyungwon did not miss the fact that he had relented first.

“I’m sorry too,” he responded, voice equally wooden.  “I didn’t mean to lash out like that. You didn’t deserve it.”

**Are you done fighting?**

“Yes,” they said in unison, and Hyungwon immediately turned away from Hoseok.

**Good.  Now, I presume that we are traveling together, yes?**

Hyungwon nodded.  He assumed that Hoseok did the same, because Setemese kept talking.

**From the scents in the wind, I can guess that there is a village approximately three leagues south of us, on the other side of that section of forest.  That should be our first destination.**

“I agree,” Hoseok said, still sounding nervous.  “I only have enough food to last probably three days, and I need new pants.  They ripped when I was cutting the vines.”

“I have money and items to trade,” Hyungwon added.  “The town will do for supplies.”

**Then let us be on our way.**

“Um.”  Hyungwon reached out and managed to tap Hoseok’s shoulder.  “Can you, uh, stay close to me? So I know where you are?”

Hoseok stammered for a bit before he managed to say “Okay.”

 

And so the two men and the dragon set off, leaving the tower from which Hyungwon had escaped using his own wits and intelligence behind.

**Author's Note:**

> well..... i tried.  
> god, the logistics and functionality of medieval times... AND formal third person... terrible confusing makes everything more difficult  
> but i love soft fluffy hyungwonho and the idea would NOT let me rest so i had to write it!!!  
> there WILL be a part two! it got so long and complex i had to break it up during editing :((( i hope you enjoyed so far~  
> ♥
> 
> ps. the flowers Hoseok sent to Hyungwon: purple hyacinth (means please forgive me), white ivy tendrils (means anxious to please), and yellow tulips (sunshine smile)
> 
> [tumblr](https://yixingminseokjongdae.tumblr.com) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/allforexot9) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/moon_goddess)


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